Onochie Anibeze
2 December 2008
There are places where games are played before matches at Stamford Bridge .They are the pubs just outside the stadium. You may not be welcomed if you are not a Chelsea supporter.
The fans are usually in their thousands and hundreds make their ways into the pubs. They are usually early so that a lot of beer game could be played before the games. That is the way to start here. Pints of beer put them in the mood that makes them cheer to high heavens.
The beer games are their own warming up beats before getting into the stadium. And they do such a good job of it you would think you are in Munich , the capital of beer production and quaffing in the world. They start singing in the pubs, the atmosphere so charged that they rarely sit. This reporter was part of it at the Stamford Bridge Sunday when Chelsea faced Arsenal in a Premiership classic London derby that was a good promotion for English football.
The beer quaffing even started from the Fulham Broadway Station, just few meters away from the stadium. The atmosphere was really charged Sunday. Arsenal needed a victory to relive their title hopes, having lost five games especially to lesser rated teams like Aston Villa. Chelsea , although top of the table before the match and ten points ahead of Arsenal had not won any game against the big clubs this season. Liverpool even beat them at Stamford Bridge .
So, there was something inconsistent about the two sides although Chelsea , on paper, appeared more confident as league leaders and also given the row in Arsenal that saw Arsene Wenger depose William Gallas as captain and hand the band to Cesc Fabregas.
The Chelsea fans won the game before the match. They sang so loud and put so much into their cheering that one could smell beer on the stands they concentrated.
The game started and the atmosphere turned electric. Dr. Raufu Ladipo of the Nigerian Supporters club should have been here to appreciate what cheering is. The whole stadium sings. It could be a song or two but everybody knows them and choruses along. In Nigeria, the supporters club sing up to 20 songs in a game and end up singing alone in one corner of the stadium where they start with HE'S A MIRACLE WORKING GOD even when the tie is against Sao Tome and Principe (apologies Paul Bassey).
Chelsea fans were thunderous in the first half. But immediately before the match ended, they had all disappeared while those of Arsenal's became louder, more loquacious and clearly more visible on an away ground. They even took over in the second half, outdoing Chelsea fans on their home ground. Three goals had been scored on the night, all by Arsenal, one against themselves and two against Chelsea.
"We lost the game on the field and lost outside the field," Mike Emenalo lamented what appeared to be an admiration of the resilience of the Arsenal crowd on Stamford Bridge .
The ex international is the Chief Scouts Officer of Chelsea , a position of such importance that no one can remember any African so bestowed with such responsibility in such a top club. He heads the department and has about 12 staff working for him. "Well, sometimes we sit in dinner to celebrate victory and sometimes we do to forget defeat," he said in Top Eleghant, a classy Thai restaurant few minutes walk from the Stamford Bridge . He and his wife, Erine were hosting some friends from USA and this reporter.
"The league is just starting. It is still open. We have a great chance to win the league but we must continue to work hard and win some of the tough matches ahead," he said, "Did you see those Arsenal fans? Chelsea fans are great but they need to also stand behind us when we are down. Arsenal fans, in their number were more noticeable when we were down. We are still top of the league contenders. And with the experienced players on our side, we have everything to win the league."
Yes, Chelsea can but not the way they played Arsenal. They lost composure when Arsenal equalised and went on to lead three minutes later courtesy of Van Persie's goals. The first appeared an offside goal and already causing ripples here as Felipe Scolari is demanding an apology from the referee for allowing the goal. Emmanuel Adebayor who seemed match rusty headed the ball to Nasiri who found Denilson. The Brazilian slipped the ball through to the Dutch man who was behind the line of Chelsea 's last man.
But the referee, Mike Dean, waved on and Persie is no player you would give such a chance and he would not appreciate your gift with a superb delivery. He did and Petr Cech couldn't stop him. The second was undisputed. Fabregas lifted a free kick to Adebayor who out_jumped Mikel Obi and as the ball was dropping, Van Persie was on hand to turn and hit a low drive that silenced the hitherto loud Chelsea fans. Shock had overwhelmed beer effects and the fans could not lift their cheering on the stands. We were at Stamford Bridge and not in Liverpool where fans are the 12th player on the pitch against opponents.
On the pitch, the Chelsea players also lost their composure. Felipe did not help matters. His changes didn't look good especially that of Mikel who many thought was having a good game. There have been talks that Scolari usually starts a game with good strategy but finds it difficult to adjust and react to the counter strategies of opponents.
He seemed to prove the critics right with the way Arsenal turned the game against them and he didn't have an answer. Chelsea clearly had a tremendous first half, forcing Johan Djourou to slid the ball into his net in an attempt to clear a Bosingwa cross. Arsenal were under pressure especially as Bosingwa was easily cutting through Clichy . But Wenger changed the game and Arsenal attacked more on the troubled spot.
Chelsea became clueless in the last 15 minutes as Fabregas lifted his roving game. The match ended 2_1 for Chelsea and revived the hopes of the gunners for a possible title chase. Obi who had taunted Arsenal as a side that plays good football but which doesn't win titles may have greater respect for them even if his perception doesn't change. Arsenal are the ones to prove him wrong by winning titles. For the league diadem, they are still far from it but can get close. Liverpool , Chelsea and Manchester United are all top contenders. It would not be easy run for any side. Arsenal, with their game here, are now saying they should not be ruled out too. It is better done than said.
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